Strays
by Nanocowie
Summary: Inko had friends, Izuku lost friends. He now has violence. Izuku gets involved with a violent group of thugs his mother once terrorised the streets with, and carries on her reluctant legacy. But when a certain hero meets a certain boy under a certain bridge, a motion is set in place that will rock the hero community. And all of this because Kacchan needed to be saved.
1. Chapter 1

Inko grimaced as she heard the phone ring, dreading the conversation that she had reluctantly started. She was vaguely aware of a 6 year old Izuku watching from behind the door, but whatever he might hear was going to be far better then if her plan went into action. She heard the ringing stop and a gruff voice answer from the other phone. "Inky? The hell are you calling after 7 years for?"

The mother gulped, remembering the faces of her old friends and envisioning this particular friend's displeased look. "G-Gareth, I-I know I-I h-haven't c-called in so l-long but I-I h-have no other o-option…"

She was cut off by a laugh, one marred by years of smoking and fighting if Gareth hadn't changed. "Come on, you calling me some kind of second-rate friend? Don't matter where you been Inky, you're one of us like it or not. Now, how can old Gary help you out?"

Inko sighed, rubbing over her arm where a mark had been permanently drawn into her skin. "G-Gareth, you know why I left r-right? My…"

She heard a grunt on the other side and she could almost see him leaning forward, his fingers curled around a cigarette now expertly manuvering it between his fingers. "Yer son, Izuku if my memory isn't a bitch like usual. You 'ad 'im with that pretty boy Hisashi right?"

Inko gulped, steeling her resolve before saying. "Y-Yes, but Hisashi left us a couple years ago. I-I need to work full time, but I can't afford care and Mitsuki's boy bully's Izuku… Gareth, can you take him in? Even just for a couple of hours a day?"

She heard absolutely nothing from the other side, silence, nada. She was worried they had just ignored her request, before she heard Gareth speak in a serious voice. "Inko, you realise the kinda company we are, right? We ain't the crowd a kid should be gettin' involved with. You realise that if yer boy comes around after suckin' his thumbs at school, he's going to be breaking thumbs in a couple months?"

Inko sighed, rubbing her eyes which had begun to burn with tears. "I-I know Gareth, I don't want it to be the only option, but it is. Izuku is Quirkless, he can't protect himself at those rowdy after-school centres even if I could send him there. I know he's going to be… One of you after a while, but you're the only one I can trust with this… You and the rest…"

Inko was about to dissolve into tears, worried that Gareth would refuse. She was shocked still when she heard him sigh and say. "Alright Inky, I'll take in yer little tyke. Where'dja want me to be after school, I'll take him to my bar and you can come grab him when you get in. Just remember, he won't be your little boy soon enough."

She sighed in relief, rubbing her eyes one final time before saying. "T-thank you Gary… I know I left you all behind, but I didn't want our life for my little Izuku."

Inko heard one final chuckle before some haunting final words. "Looks like he's getting it anyway. Violence is in his blood Inky, as is in yours."

With that Gareth hung up and Inko was left in the darkened corridor. Sighing, she put the phone back into the pedestal before turning around to see Izuku looking at her curiously from his room in his All Might onesie. "Mommy? Who was that?"

Inko walked over and wrapped him in her arms, embracing her son in fear. "J-Just your old Godfather Gareth. Now, you'll be going with him after school before Mommy comes to pick you up. Now then, time for bed."

She herded the fussy Izuku into his bed, giving him a kiss on the forehead once he was asleep. With one final look over her shoulder, she walked out of the room, fully realising that soon enough he would be much too mature then his age would suggest.

 _Timeskip, after school the next day_

Izuku worriedly looked around the carpark of his primary school, searching for a man that could be Mr Gareth. He heard a triplet of laughs from behind him and turned around to see Bakugo and two of his friends standing over him. "So Izuku, where's your Mommy? Oh, she ain't here? I bet it's because you're such a useless Deku."

Izuku stood there, taking it in stride like he learned to. Kacchan was strong, he was weak, this was how things worked out. "Hey kid, you wana piss off?"

They all turned to see a massively large man next to them, looming over them and casting a shadow over them all. He wasn't built like All Might, but his body obviously indicated a fighter. He was in jeans and a t-shirt, his muscle-bound arms covered by a biker jacket while his right eye was adorned with a scar, framed by his dark auburn hair. Bakugo and his cronies seemed to piss themselves before scrambling off with their tails between their legs. With a sigh, the man watched them go before turning to Izuku. "Hey, your name Izuku?"

Izuku nodded frantically, still scared deeply by the man before he launched a yellow toothed smile at the young boy. "The name's Gareth, yer Momma tell you about me?"

Izuku nodded with a smile, this cool guy was friends with Mom! "Yep! She told me to go with you until she came to get me. It's nice to meet you Mr Gareth!"

The bear of a man huffed and looked away, scratching at his beard. "Come on kid, let's go and get back to the bar."

Izuku followed along, silently sizing up the man from behind him. He seemed to be genuine enough, but he was scary! Eventually they both reached a car, where somebody else was sitting behind the wheel with a glass of pure red liquid. Gareth opened up the back seat and helped Izuku up and into a seat, strapping him in before addressing the woman behind the wheel. "Heather, meet Inky's son. Izuku, this is Heather."

The woman called Heather turned around in her seat, not spilling a drop of liquid despite the quick acrobatics. Her blood red eyes glistened with mischief, framed by raven black hair. "Hiya! So your Inko's son, Izuku right? I'm Heather, I used to be your Momma's right-hand woman till she went domestic."

Izuku nodded, very curious of the friendly woman as Gareth got into the seat next to her. "Come on Red, let's get em back to Bolgia and introduce him to the others."

Heather pouted before getting back into driving position and draining her glass, smacking her lips before cracking her fingers and adjusting her rear-view mirror. Gareth grinned at Izuku in said mirror, giving a warning. "You like roller-coasters Kid? Cause you won't like this one."

Gareth's words held true, as the ride proved to be one Izuku would not forget any time soon. After a trip which made Izuku redefine his version of insane he let Gareth unbuckle him, before being scooped up into the arms of Heather. They appeared to be in a pretty dark part of the city, despite the sun hanging in the sky. She ran her hand through his hair, apologetically looking down at him. "Sorry Izuku, I get a little excited when I'm behind the wheel…"

Izuku remembered his mother teaching him to always be polite when somebody apologised. "D-Don't worry Ms Heather, I-I'm okay…"

Gareth sighed before walking over to the building they had parked outside of. "Come on you two, I've been sober for two whole hours."

Heather and Izuku grinned, with the older offering Izuku her hand which he took gratefully as they walked inside with Gareth. Inside the large room appeared to be clouded in a mass of smoke, somehow being kept to the ceiling and clouding the large light. The room itself appeared to be a stereotypical bar, but with a whole host of interesting people to the young Izuku. He felt himself be hoisted up by the arms of Heather, surprisingly strong as she proclaimed. "Inky 2 Has Arrived!"

All of the patrons raised their mugs with a cheer, drawing a sigh from Gareth who dropped into a barstool and was instantly served by the bartender. "Heather, you mind looking over him during introductions? I'm getting to old for this shit…"

Heather nodded happily and set Izuku down, taking him to the closest table which had three men seated. One feature Izuku noticed is that they were all missing something like an eye, a finger or an ear. "Izuku, these are Paulo, Reese and James. They're as thick as thieves they are."

The closest one to Izuku grinned at him, an eyepatch adorning his left eyesocket. "Nice to meetcha kid! Was a shame when Inky left it was."

The other two introduced themselves as boisterously before he was carted off to the next table where two women were sat. These two seemed to be rather gloomy, one drinking a pitch black liquid and shrouded in antipathy while the other was sitting surrounded by an aura of sadness. "These are my friends, Laura and Jen. Say hi you two."

The woman drinking the black stuff peered at Izuku over her glass before saying. "If he lives up to Inko's legacy, I will acknowledge him as such."

Izuku didn't pay her any mind, instead choosing to walk up to the sad and shy woman. "What's wrong miss?"

She seemed to recoil in fear, before stuttering out. "I-I-I'm o-okay I-Iz-zuku-u…"

Izuku nodded and flashed her his biggest smile. "Well, I hope your happy again soon!"

Heather giggled as the rest of the bar seemed to laugh uproariously at the young boy's action, drawing a quiet smile from the woman. The rest of the introductions went just as well, Izuku noticing something special about each and every one of them. Something he had noticed was that nobody seemed to care about his quirk and never offered theirs. It was… Refreshing to the young boy, a welcome change from the quirk dominated school he went to.

Eventually Heather dropped him off at the bar next to Gareth with a final hug. "I'm gonna go talk to the girls, you be a good boy now Izu!"

Izuku nodded obediently as Gareth hailed down the bartender. "Something light for the kid."

He nodded and poured out a glass of orange juice before dropping a shot of something into it. Gareth sighed, too exasperated to object as the bartender slid it over to Izuku, who took it with a quiet word of thanks. Gareth finished off his beer, watching Izuku out of the corner of his eye and smiling as the young boy sipped on the juice. "Mr Gareth, what is in this juice? It tastes really good."

Gareth laughed before shaking his head, scratching his beard. "Don't tell your Mom but it's soft liquor. Drink it nice and slow, this'll be your first time with booze, so we don't want you drunk. So, what do you make of everyone?"

Izuku grinned, swirling his straw around in the drink as he said. "They all seem nice, why did Mom seem to be scared of you?"

Gareth sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Izuku, you should know this before you leave. We're not good people. We ain't villains, but god knows we're not good people. We fight, we get drunk and we don't like the rules that much. We're not gonna kick you out, but you better not rat us out to the cops. You got that?"

Izuku nodded, processing the revelation that some bad people weren't villains. "Um, okay Mr Gareth."

The man grinned at him, motioning for him to drink up. "Then enjoy yourself kid. Also, drop the Mister crap, you're Inky's kid, you're one of us."

Izuku grinned up at him, genuinely happy at his proclamation. After finishing his drink Izuku felt a bit woozy, obviously effected by the shot of liquor in his drink. Gareth felt a ringing in his pocket and brought out his phone and glanced at the darkened screen. Sighing he got up and wiped his mouth on his arm which was adorned with a tattoo of twenty lions biting each other's tails. "Come on kid, your Mom's here. You want to say goodbye to Heather?"

Izuku nodded and turned around to look at Heather who was at her table with Laura and Jen, sipping a glass of wine. She looked up and waved to him with a smile, which Izuku returned with vigour. Gareth smirked at him and lead him outside, where Inko was stood nervously looking around at the dark street. Izuku ran forward to hug her. "Mommy!"

Inko gasped before gripping her son in a hug. "Heya Izuku, did you enjoy your time with Gareth?"

Izuku nodded into her skirt, causing Inko to look up at the stoic Gareth. "Thank you, Gareth. Same time tomorrow?"

Gareth nodded before kneeling down to Izuku's eye height, ruffling his hair. "See ya tomorrow kid."

Izuku grinned at him and nodded. "Yep! See you tomorrow Uncle Gareth!"

He bashfully looked away before standing up, nodding to the two and walking back inside. Inko helped Izuku up and into his seat while asking about his day. Izuku prattled on about how cool Gareth was and about Heather and the rest of the patrons of the bar. Inko listened attentively as she drove back to their flat, reluctantly eager to see how her old friends were doing. Eventually they got back to the flat, she made dinner while Izuku went into his room to play around. Eventually it was ready, they ate and Inko helped him into his pyjamas and into bed where he promptly fell asleep.

As she was about to leave the room, she couldn't help but notice the little booklet she had bought for him to write his 'Hero Research' in open on his little desk. Walking over, she scanned it over and smiled ruefully at the crude sketches of Gareth and Heather on their own separate pages. They seemed to take pride of place at the front, being as bold as All Might's entry at the start.

Dropping the book down onto the desk, she left the room with a final glance at the few posters Izuku had and his action figures of heroes. 'Looks like they won't be around for too much longer…'

 _Timeskip, two weeks_

Izuku was much quieter then usual, even by his standards. He hadn't responded as enthusiastically to Heather's boisterous greeting, was silent throughout the ride from hell and only nodded to the welcomes from the patrons. Gareth was honestly quite concerned for the young boy he had come to see as his nephew as he watched him drink his usual spiked orange juice. "Kid, you alright?"

Izuku jumped at the address, before nodding without a word. Now Gareth knew something was up and it spelt trouble for whoever caused the problem. He heard a loud gasp and turned to see the depressed girl Jennifer holding her hands over her mouth while looking at Izuku. Gareth realised her quirk must have activated, Emotional Appraisal. It allowed her to assess the emotional state of anybody she could see, along with a basic reason for their emotion like 'Tasty food' or 'Loss of Friend'. Gareth reached down and pulled Izuku's school jumper up, despite protests from the young boy. He was shocked to see various bruises and light burns on his torso.

Immediatly dropping his mug he turned to Izuku and bored his eyes into the young boy. "Izuku, who did this to you. By god I'll rip their fuckin spine out if I get my hands on them…"

Izuku help up his hands, waving it away as if it was nothing. "N-No need Uncle Gareth, just Kacchan up to his usual. Nothing to see here…"

Gareth growled at him, motioning for the Bartender to grab the first-aid kit. "Like hell there is Kid. This kinda shit can't continue, you'll be a fucking invalid before your 10. Your teacher didn't stop the little shit?"

Izuku quietly shook his head, fully aware everybody was watching him. "N-No, he doesn't really care much…"

He heard a small crack and looked over to the source to see Heather's fingers gripped around her table, now sporting a new series of cracks. Turning back Izuku felt Gareth pull his sweater off and begin to treat the wounds, slightly roughly but enough to stop any chance of infection. It was possibly the longest 10 minutes Izuku ever felt, feeling everybody's eyes on his body before Gareth sighed and handed him his sweater. "That should do kid. Now then, what to do about it."

Izuku was about to tell him he had it under his control but balked under Gareth's gaze. Heather came up to them and dropped into the barstool next to Izuku. "Yes… What to do about my little Izuku gettin' beat up. Hey Gareth, you reckon he's old enough to learn 'bout his mother's legacy?"

Izuku leaned inward, interested in what they were talking about. Gareth grunted while grabbing his mug and taking a deep sip. "Kids much younger have done much worse, not to mention he's going to need it sooner rather then later. Kid, you know how we're kinda rough around the edges?"

Izuku nodded, willing himself not to grab his notebook and begin to write down everything he was saying. "Well, our Inko wasn't the salary woman she is now. We're all fighters, we just do it in the backstreets where the law can't see. Inky was one of our best, I doubt I could defeat her in her prime. She was known as the Musutafu Massacre, she was that vicious. What I'm proposing, is that you learn how to fight like we do, like your mother did."

The young Izuku gave pause for a moment, weighing up what he knew about heroes and villains. It sounded kinda bad in his ears, breaking the law, but it was with his Uncle and Heather… But then he remembered one of the strange heroes that had recently popped up, Eraserhead. People kept saying he fought dirty, so isn't it just a kind of fighting? Not to mention, without a quirk he would need every advantage he could get… "O-Okay, I'll learn it."

Gareth grinned as Heather grabbed him from behind in a hug with a cheer. Once the excitement had calmed down Gareth finished his drink and said. "Okay, I'll have your training equipment sort'd for tomorrow. I'll put some meat on those bones before we get to fighting, you got that Kid?"

Izuku nodded enthusiastically, finishing his orange juice in kind. "Sure!"

Gareth nodded and got up, now knowing the time when Inko usually got there as did Izuku. Walking over to the door, Gareth said prememptivly. "Don't mention this to your mother, she'll kick my ass and then the rest of their asses for letting you do this. Also, don't think about fighting those punks at school yet till we've got you on the right track."

Izuku nodded once more, left the building and greeted his mother. They went home, ate dinner, Izuku drew in his journal and went to sleep in anticipation of the next day. Inko had no idea, but this was the beginning of her little boy becoming what she tried to leave behind.

 _Timeskip, 8 years later_

An older Izuku lounged in his chair, boredly listening to his teacher's speech on their future careers while thumbing over a scar he had on the back of his hand. His body was taut with muscle, but framed with scars and other battle memories that he so fondly loved. Each one was a reminder of a punk he had decided to slam into the ground whenever they so much as glanced at him the wrong way and he _reveled_ in the feeling. He looked up to see the commotion of the class peak as the teacher went on about how they were all going to want to become heroes, fucking idiot.

From the corner of his eye Izuku could see Bakugo ranting to the teacher about how he was _soo_ much better then the rest of them and scoffed. Obviously, the other boy heard him, but the lack of a violent reaction was indicative of times Izuku had put his lessons to use. Izuku fondly remembered the first time when he had managed to knee Bakugo in the teeth, knocking a few out and causing the young boy to wail. Heather had been so proud that day and Laura finally invited him to talk, letting the young boy fight her to improve his skills. Inko had obviously known what was going on to an extent, flinching when Izuku first told her that Laura had begun to talk to him.

In all honesty, Izuku really couldn't relate to his mother at all any more. Seriously, if you could give up the rush of watching a bunch of street thugs drop their wallets and run away pissing themselves then you were weirder then an alien to him. Gareth had half-heartedly warned him against going out alone to beat up punks but the warning was lost on him in response to the sheer volume of money he got from the deal. A new knife he like the look of? A night or two of fighting and it adorned his wall. A couple nights alone in a hotel so he didn't need to worry about his mother catching him? Hell, he could pay for it by the night.

And to top it all off, crime rates had plummeted in response to his little crusade. Most small-time street gangs were disbanded by the 'Musutafu Meddler' and the bigger crime syndicates were forced to do operations only in the large scale to stop Izuku from just taking them all out. Sometimes they had drawn guns, every time that happened they left in bodybags. Izuku never bothered to learn gunsmanship, finding it boring to point at something to kill it. Eventually Gareth had given up on stopping him from taking out street gangs alone, instead trying to get Izuku to head to a fighting ring near them so at least he could do it with him watching.

Snapping back to reality Izuku looked up from his desk to see that class had just been dismissed, leaving himself and a couple girls who were giggling on the other side of the room while taking suggestive glances at him. Winking at them he stood up, threw his bag over his shoulder and made his way out of the school grounds while enjoying the stares he got from most of the female population of the school. He fully realised that he had the 'Bad Boy' look going for him, Heather had told him as much when she told him that her niece Audrey had begged her to let her see him.

Making his way down towards the fighting ring he went to after school, Izuku took a moment to glare at the pollution filling the river. Somebody really needed to fix that shit, it stunk to high heaven. The sun went out of view as he walked through a tunnel, checking for any new graffiti on the walls. What he wasn't aware of was the writhing mass of slime that was gleefully smirking at him from behind. "Oh, now you _will_ be a nice host…"

Now a lesser man might have frozen, a better man might have called the police but Izuku took the nice sweet spot of turning around and throwing up his fists. The slime monster pooled around at his feet, trying to immobilize him but Izuku had seen the kind of trick from a street punk before and dodged to the right. His upper conscious had left, letting his street smarts and intuition kick into overdrive as he assessed the arena. A couple bits of litter, nope. A bunch of rocks, maybe… A shattered glass bottle, fucking perfect! Grabbing it while rolling to the right Izuku got up and lunged at the massive eye on the beast, smiling as the shards embedded themselves into weak point. Jumping back Izuku watched in satisfaction as the monster screamed and whimpered at the pain as Izuku searched for another opportunity to attack. Just as he brought out his knife, he heard a voice from behind him boom. **"Fear not citizen, for I am here!"**

Izuku whirled around, knife at the ready to see All Might reeling back a punch. Dodging to the right barely managed to get out of the way of the blow which splattered the villain across the tunnel. Sighing that his opponent had been stolen Izuku sheathed the knife and said. "The hell is this?"

All Might turned with his normal smile. **"Ah, merely a foe which has eluded me for some of the day. Fear not, for I shall bring him in."**

Izuku sighed and began to walk away, throwing a wave over his shoulder. "Don't bother me none, see ya big guy."

As the teenager walked away, All Might couldn't help but feel offputted by the young man. He seemed remorseless at the damage he had done to the villain, regardless of if it was in self defence. The kid hadn't even been awestruck by his appearance as most teenagers would… It seemed like a case of bad parenting but something still seemed off…

Shrugging he got prepared for take-off after scooping the villain into a plastic bottle. In his reverie about the young Izuku however, he forgot to tie it to his belt and as he lept off into the air, the bottle came undone and dropped to the city below. It landed in front of a disgruntled boy with explosive anger issues and all hell broke loose from there.

 _Povchange._

Izuku groaned as his way to the bar was blocked by a crowd of people, apparently watching a fight between villains and heroes. Honestly this day was just getting so fucking dandy as it went on. Deciding to see if there was going to be blood, Izuku pushed and shoved his way to the front, not caring at some peoples yells of protest. What he saw shocked him a bit, before a predatory glance managed to weave its way onto his face. That slimy fuck had managed to escape the all so important All Might and had managed to take lil' Blasty hostage.

Realising that the heroes were doing nothing and that his knife was being blue-balled after not spilling blood the last time, Izuku decided to have some fun. Jumping over the police cordon into the area, he called out to the monster. "Hey Shitstain, remember me!?"

It looked down and seemed to recoil in fear. "Y-You! You were the one who messed up my eye you little fuck! Now then, let's see how this quirk does against you"

The mention of a quirk sobered Izuku, a small angry grimace on his face. "You think some firecrackers will do much to me Shitstain? Let's test that theory."

Hitting the release on the switchblade Izuku threw it at the monster's eye, landing home once again causing it to scream in pain and loosen its grip on Bakugo. Leisurely walking forward Izuku grabbed his classmate by the front of his clothes and wrenched him away, saying. "Oh hey Kacchan, nice new boyfriend you've got here."

Katsuki growled and was about to rebute him when he was pushed aside by Izuku. "Now then, how about a quick dance eh Shitstain?"

Izuku pulled out another knife, this time a much longer one and jumped up to the eye once again. Grabbing onto the switchblade already embedded in the eye Izuku drove the other into the organ, causing another scream to erupt from the monster. "Now then, you want to be blind forever or are you going to shut the hell up and turn yourself over?"

After a couple seconds of screaming, along with horrified looks from the heroes and spectators, Izuku twisted the switchblade. "Come on Sweetpea, I ain't got all night."

The monster blubbered out what Izuku could only assume to be a 'Yes.' and jumped down, taking his knives with him. The sludge villain had curled up in a ball, not responding when the authorities were arresting him and instead blubbering in pain. The heroes tried to detain Izuku for questioning, but got a middle finger in the face as the young man walked off towards the bar. What he didn't notice was All Might watching from a rooftop, his body deflated into his true form. 'That was… Harrowing. The boy has skill, but it is used for pain and not apprehension… It would be prudent to inform Tsukauchi, lest he fall to villainy.'

Izuku had just walked into Bolgia, the bar owned by Gareth, and was greeted by various calls of greeting to him by the patrons. Gareth was nowhere to be found, making Izuku grin as he walked over to the bar and called out an order for his usual. The bartender had become his greatest friend, staunchest ally and taker of wealth in his time fighting and he proved it by sliding the drink over to Izuku as a note flew into his hand.

The bar was quite empty tonight, but a figure sat down next to him causing him to turn his head slightly to look at them. It was Laura, his most vicious sparring partner who had a glass of dark wine in her hand. "Izuku, the news has said that a villain was mutilated by a green haired, armed vigilante. Why?"

Izuku grunted and took a mouthful of his drink. "Fucker tried to kill me before, just finishing business."

Laura nodded as she sipped her own. "Well it looks like the hunt for you is on. I would finish you drink and get out of here. Also, Heather sends her regards."

As his drink was reaching completion Izuku asked. "California right? Visiting family if I remember."

Laura nodded, continuing. "Yes, said that her niece wanted her to be there for her birthday. Granted, she asked after you initially."

Izuku shrugged, not really caring for the girl's crush on him. Audrey looked a nice enough girl, but too rich for his blood if he ever talked to her. "Alright. Thanks for the message, pass it back for me would you? I'm going to hit the ring, I like the look of a new Butterfly."

Laura nodded, watching as Izuku slid his empty glass over to the bartender before standing up and leaving. He walked through the humid air, relishing in the relative cleanliness of the streets that he had enforced by his own two hands. The path he walked was a familiar one, dropping down a alleyway and heaving over a wall into a large circular clearing with a pit in the middle. It seemed that a couple people were already in there, ripping at each other with claws as a rabid crowd screamed them on.

Looking through the crowd he didn't see any people looking suspiciously out of place, which ment no undercover cops. It was at that point he felt a breath on his ear and twisted out of the way of a knife that flied for his side. "Sup Toga."

The blond girl smiled sweetly at him as she sheathed her knife, now swaying her hips in place as she leaned on him. "Heya Izu-zu! Ready to spill some blood?"

Izuku barked out a laugh as he said. "As long as your giving me my cut of the profits, sure."

Toga nodded, showing a ticket that had a large '10,000 on Midori' stamped on it. "Yep! 40/60 as usual, 1.5x return. Also, I was wondering if…"

He sighed and nodded. "Yes, I'll come with you to get cheesecake."

She cheered before slapping his behind forward, signalling for him to get into the ring. "You go boy!"

Izuku walked forward, shoving the bystanders away as the last fight was cleared up. Jumping down into the pit he saw a large man crash down as well, wielding a large metal pole he whacked the floor with. "Ready to play Little Rabbit?"

All the goliath received in return was the sound of a switchblade opening and a savage grin. "Let's tango."

 _Timeskip_

Twenty seconds, twenty seconds is all it took. The crowd was aroar as they looked down at the weeping Goliath who had about 40 cuts on his face alone. Izuku muscled himself up and out of the pit before getting rushed by Toga who had a plastic bag full of paper bills. "Izu! You would never guess it. When they saw Goliath against you they raised your bet to 2.5x! I also managed to… Get some extra tickets from some suckers…"

Izuku sighed, ruffling her hair before spying the angry looking crowd around him. "Let's head Toga."

She was about to protest before he looked into her eyes and said harshly. "Now."

Toga relinquished before yelping as Izuku brought her into his arms, rushing through the crowd and jumping out of the Ring. They heard some angered yelling from behind them but Izuku never looked back. Eventually they were out of the ring, but they never noticed a scarved man watching them from the roof of a building. A communicator on his chest asked quietly. "Aizawa, do you have confirmation of target?"

He slowly lifted his hand and hit the 'open mic' button. "Yes, he is with subject Himiko. They appear to be familiar with each other."

The communicator said again. "The patrons of the Bolgia Bar have denied any connection with the subject. Inko Midoriya however claims that the target has frequented the bar since he was young due to circumstance. Do not move to apprehend, we will apprehend tonight."

Aizawa grunted and responded. "What of Subject Himiko, Tsukauchi?"

The detective simply returned. "Leave her, Midoriya could be good leverage against her later on."

The hero turned off the communicator and watched as Toga was set down and brought out a bottle. Midoriya sat down on a free bench and let Toga massage the brown contents of the bottle into his hair, each strand getting progressively browner with each press. Eventually Izuku's signature green hair was now a chocolate brown. Standing up, Izuku offered her his arm which she happily took as they went over to a cozy looking café.

Izuku sat down at a table with a sigh as Toga happily began to browse the menu. Grabbing the bag he began to count out their shares. True to the deal they had struck, he took his 40% before sliding over a neat pile of notes worth 60% to her. "Good doin' business with ya Toga. What're you getting?"

She smiled coyly as she put her chin in her hand, leaning closer to him. "Oh, what to get indeed. How many cuts did you get on 'im?"

He barked a short laugh before saying. "49."

Toga mock-swooned before turning back to the menu, counting down the list until she got to 4. Turning to a free waiter she said. "Strawberry Cheesecake please!"

The waiter nodded and went back to the kitchen as Izuku pulled out his phone. 4 new messages. Opening the app he saw three by Gareth and one from Heather. Opening Gareth's contact Izuku read them with a grimace.

 _Gareth: Four police at Bolgia looking for you_

 _Gareth: Stay clear for tonight_

 _Gareth: Go and stay with Toga or something_

Sighing he typed back a quick 'Ok' before turning to Heather's contact and opening the message. Inside was a picture of both her and her niece at the beach, who was obviously trying to make herself look as appealing as possible. Sighing he typed back. _'Nice, say hi to Audrey for me.'_

Dropping it back into his pocket he looked up to see Toga with a spoon held up to his mouth, a chunk of cheesecake offered to him. Rolling his eyes good-naturedly he took it from her, watching as she grinned happily before going back to devouring her slice. Today had been tiring as hell in his eyes, and since he couldn't drink it away he turned to another waiter and said gruffly. "Could you get me a coffee?"

He walked over to the bar, expertly pulling a coffee and bringing it over to Izuku and placing it infront of him. Izuku drunk it in silence, watching Toga over the lip of his mug as she swung her legs beneath the seat. She was an enigma wrapped in a blood-stained mystery to him, and he remembered his first encounter with her.

She was sat on a corpse, slowly running a knife over its spine when Izuku found her. He had just gotten back from taking down a small drug ring, and he was already pretty cut up from a couple stray knives. He was only just able to dodge the knife thrown at him, but one look at her face instantly told him she was insane. A game of cat and mouse continued for a couple hours, Izuku hiding in buildings with Toga's crazed humming and false cooing making the night like a horror movie.

Eventually the day broke, and he was just about to escape back to Bolgia when she struck. They wrestled over a knife for a bit, before it managed to draw a line over his cheek. The girl's distraction was enough for him to flip the tables, but she wasn't even trying any more. They talked for a bit, and eventually they reached an accord. She got to see him cut up, he got to live.

Once she was done with her cake Izuku said. "Hey, I need a place to crash tonight. Do you mind?"

Toga shrugged and responded. "Sure, but no funny business."

Izuku nodded and dropped a couple notes on the table before standing up, offering her a hand. They both left arm in arm, and Toga lead him down into an alleyway before opening up an innocuous door. He walked in and perused the room, depressingly bare with a few markers of living. "You know, we could probably go and grab a place in town after a couple nights Toga. Share the rent, we both have a place to crash."

She nodded before sighing. "Maybe, but it's closer to the ring here and I have a couple friends around that I need to stay near. Anyways, want to take the first shower?"

Izuku nodded gratefully before shrugging off his clothes, ignoring Toga's stare before walking into the derelict bathroom and turning on the water. It was cold, but he knew that she was off the grid. Eventually he finished and walked out with a towel, watching Toga scrub off their clothes in the sink with a couple jugs of water. She was in her underwear, and her shivering was indicative of the coldness in the air. Grabbing a blanket he walked over and placed it over her shoulders, saying quietly. "I'll handle it, you go and warm up."

She nodded, hiding the few tears that threatened to fall. "Why is it like this Izu? Why are we the dregs?"

He didn't have an answer to that, and he wrapped his arms around her. "I don't know Toga, but once you're done with these 'friends' we'll go and get a real place. A fireplace, couple bedrooms, shower with hot water…"

Izuku knew that Toga needed to hear these promises for her sanity, clinging to hope gave her hope. He had to do this a couple times before, but he never regretted it. He and Toga were just two outcasts, they had to stick together or they would fall apart. Maybe this was love, but Izuku didn't really know what it was supposed to look like. "Yeah, maybe a cat. Maybe we could have a bath too…"

He didn't know how long they stood like that, but when she fell asleep he walked over to the couch and tucked her in. Walking over to the sink he finished scrubbing the clothes before hanging them over a chair. Grabbing a t-shirt and joggers from the old wardrobe he threw them on before lying down on the other sofa, the sound of Toga's snores comforting him in the cold air. Little did he know as he nodded off, he wouldn't be waking up to her excited smile.

 _Timeskip_

Izuku groaned as he blinked awake, the bright light of the room telling him that he wasn't in Toga's place. The walls were a baren white, and he appeared to be chained to a chair that was sat across from a blurred figure. All of a sudden a rush of cold overcame him, courtesy of a bucket of ice water that shocked him awake.

The figure became clear, a large man with bulging muscles and blond hair. "All Might?"

All Might nodded grimly. "Yes Mr Midoriya, or the 'Musutafu Meddler' to some. You were arrested in the night for vigilanticism, consorting with criminals, participation in illegal gambling and fighting. As a young adult, you would be granted a familial contact but unfortunately your mother has requested not to be contacted. Is there anyone you wish to speak to?"

Izuku gritted his teeth at the news that his mother had given up on him. He couldn't contact Gareth or Toga, they would instantly become targets. "No."

He nodded, leaning forward on his arms. "Okay, let's begin. Normally you would be thrown into Tartarus for a sentence of 20 years. I don't want that to come to pass, but you will need to co-operate with us for that to happen."

The young delinquent shrugged, not particularly bothered by the idea of prison. "It's not happening. I've got nothin' waiting for me out there. I'm a street fighter, Quirkless, delinquent and truant. I ain't got a place in society."

That got the heroes attention. "Quirkless you say? How has this effected you?"

Izuku boredly returned. "A few scars when I was young before I toughened up. Still means I ain't going anywhere outside of beatin' up lowlifes."

All Might inwardly grinned. His early days consisted of much the same. "I see. Have you considered bodyguarding or acting as a bouncer?"

Best not to jump straight to hero, Midoriya would probably write him off as some tacky councillor. "Maybe, but nobody's gonna want a kid just outta highschool without a quirk. I got some skills, but they ain't enough to convince a big important club owner."

All Might hummed at the point. "What of hero work? You may be aware of Eraserhead? He fights essentially Quirkless."

Izuku scoffed at the notion, kicking his feet up. "Now that's the rub ain't it? I gotta lotta friends who ain't going to be pleased I went domestic. And if I'm going to get fucked over by the law I'm not gonna go an' mess up my friends. You never helped us, I ain't gonna go and leave my family."

All Might sighed, unhappy that he needed to pull the one card his friend had allowed him as a back-up. "You have a relationship with Toga Himiko as far as I'm aware?"

The fierce eyes stabbing into him gave the aged hero a sinking feeling. "What the hell are you implying there?"

He held up a hand in a sign of peace. "Don't worry, she is still free. What I am proposing is a trade. You will attend U.A in the Hero Course, with minimal interruptions to the class, and simply see if you would ever try a legal life. In exchange we will ignore Toga Himiko, pardon her of all crimes she has committed, and have her shipped to another country."

Izuku rubbed his forehead, getting more and more frustrated with each point. "U.A is a maybe, but Toga can't be solved by movin' her. Her quirk demands blood, an' she's gonna come after me until she gets it."

All Might motioned for Izuku to continue. "Alright Superman, I'll give you a crash course in urchins. Toga needs blood to stay sane, I gave her that blood by goin' to fight rings and cuttin' up idiots. We share bettin' money, go and grab somethin' to eat and head home. We both understand that she only wants _me_ to give her blood, and you can't reason an animal can ya?"

The hero shook in frustration, this was all too complicated! "I see, so you were making sure Ms Himiko was not attacking others for blood?"

Izuku nodded. "Kinda, but it's also cause she needs help. She can't head to school or getta job that won't leave her naked on the streets, but she can bet on a fighter she can rely on."

All Might nodded before revising his points. "Okay, how about this. You will have the same conditions for going to U.A. Himiko will not go to prison, but will be privately tutored by a hero under house arrest. Once a month you will be permitted to see one another and… Sate her quirk. Once you are both finished with your tutelage, both of you will be free to do as you see fit."

Izuku nodded, causing All Might to sigh in relief. "One more thing big guy, how am I supposed to get through U.A? Still not got a quirk over here."

The hero grinned down at him. "Why, I think I have just the thing."


	2. Chapter 2

Inko jumped as a loud thudding knock was heard on her front door, shaking her out of her reverie. It had been two days since she had ratted out her little boy to the police, and the empty house was enough to make her regret her decision. She had never dealt well with being alone, because being alone ment that her little boy wasn't with her. Standing up and making her way over to the door she opened it slightly before her eyes widened, a wave of fear crashing over her as she looked at her old friend Heather. "H-H-Hea…"

The redhead nodded, replying in turn. "Inko, do you mind if I come in?"

The woman nodded despite her fear, knowing that refusing would only lead to persistence. Opening the door wide Heather walked in, closing the door behind her without making eye contact. Inko lead her to the living room, where a cold albeit full mug of tea was sat forgotten. Heather shivered at the temperature before sitting down, motioning for Inko to do the same. "Inky… What the hell happened?"

The mother gulped before explaining, rubbing her arm. "I-I-Izuku was involved in a f-fight. T-The police came over and s-said that he was u-under arrest. I-I-I…"

Heather sighed, battling back tears. She knew this day was coming, Izuku was making too big a name for himself before he knew how to deal with it. Things had changed way too much since she had left for her vacation. "Okay, so you sent them over to Bolgia. Inko, why?"

The hurt in her friend's voice made Inko's dregs of confidence shrivel up. "H-H-He c-couldn't stay like that! He was getting in f-fights, s-stabbing people, s-staying in dodgy hotels… And there's that girl he was staying with! She could only be trouble."

Heather sighed, surprising Inko with a reluctant nod. "I know, he wasn't prepared for his own infamy. It was necessary to a mother, I understand. But you have no idea how bad it will get if Toga tracks you down."

Inko shuddered out a motion to continue as Heather brought out a flask containing what Inko remembered to be distilled moonshine. Her old partners quirk, Poison Resistance, made getting drunk difficult. "That girl you called trouble, her name is Toga. I've only met her a couple times, but Izuku and her are as thick as thieves. Toga is unhinged, jealous and strong. Izuku made his mark on her as the only one able to take her all, good and bad, thus she relied on him as an anchor. Now that he's in prison… It might be good to brush off the training equipment."

Her hand reflexively came to her wrist. "W-What? She can't be that bad, surely?"

Heather shook her head. "No, I know that she will track you down and hurt you if given half a chance. I've been tryin' to get him away from her, but it's no use."

Inko leaned forward intently, a silent question to elaborate. Heather grinned happily as a red blush came over her face. "My niece, Audrey, may or may not have a massive crush on him. I'm playin' a bit of matchmaker, but it's hard cause she's in California. Toga has the advantage of being near, familiar and similar to him."

Inko nodded, before wondering aloud. "Maybe his room would give us some clues into his mindset. I've not stepped inside in… Years."

Heather nodded, grinning as she jumped to her feet and dragged Inko up as well. "Lead the way!"

Inko laughed quietly, a bit of colour returning to her cheeks as they walked over to her son's room. Opening it quickly Inko gulped, her whimsy disappearing as she looked at the room. Knives lined the walls, otherwise the room had no other defining features. Heather walked past her, walking over to his desk and cracking open a drawer. "Bingo!"

Inko walked over to see what she had found. "Oh, he still has these? I thought he threw them all out, but these seem pretty new…"

Hero Journals, 20 in total, lined the drawer. Heather picked up volume one and opened it, giggling as she looked at the child's portrayal of Gareth, herself and All Might. "Aww! I can remember those first few days he spent with us. Gareth was so awkward, and Izuku was trying his best not to be a bother to anyone as he scribbled in these."

Going for the latest one Inko opened it up to see a much more intricate portrayal of a blond girl in a beige school uniform. Next to it he had written. _Toga Himiko. Quirk: Doppleganger. Through ingestion of blood, Toga is able to assume the form of the owner's body and quirk. Depending on the amount of blood consumed the time will change. This quirk forces her to seek blood out, be it ingesting or simply watching it be spilled._

 _Toga requires comforting once every week statistically, but emotions can cause this time to lessen. During these proceedings remind her that things will get better and that we will share a house that is on the grid. Agree with all promises, failure to do so will result in emotional collapse and extreme aggression._

 _She lives in the slums in an abandoned apartment. She enjoys cheesecake and is unafraid to bid on me in fight rings. 40/60 split is the agreed percentage share of betting money. Her teeth are acutely sharp, she enjoys knifeplay and is very emotional when receiving gifts. Note: Birthday: August 20_ _th_ _. Volatile, possibly the closest somebody has ever gotten to killing me. Current Status: Tied to people who have an interest in keeping her in the slums._

 _I have already scouted a place in town that has two beds, connected to the grid and is low security. The keys are half way into my hand, and the moment Toga signs that contract its ours. Until that day I'll keep her alive, she's the best friend I'll ever have._

Inko and Heather looked up from the journal, the holder closing it shakily and laying it down on the desk. Heather spoke up in a weirdly breathless tone. "Well shit. It looks like he's got it bad…"

Inko nodded, slipping back into the days when she was the Massacre. "You can say that again. Toga is his partner, the Bonnie to his Clyde, and that's going to be hard to change now."

Heather inwardly smirked as Inko began to stand up straight again, exuding the lethal confidence she once enjoyed. "Never the less you had better begin to hit the gym again, it can't be healthy for you to stay like this anyway. I'll go and tell Gareth the situation and…"

Inko had cut her off by picking up the journal again and flipping through it. Heather was about to ask what she was doing before Inko thrust it towards her on a certain page. "Check this out."

The page displayed a heart-warming sight. Izuku had obviously done this page over a night, looking over his friend as she slept in the moonlight. It depicted Toga snoozing in a chair near a window, the moon illuminating the girl. Each detail was captured meticulously, from the girl's canines that gave her a cat-like appearance to the clutch of notes balled tightly in her fist. Heather grabbed it lightly, running a finger around the outline of the girl. "I didn't know he was an artist."

Inko sighed, looking up at the knives adorning the walls. "He always was, but he just painted with violence. I did it too for a bit, but then Hisashi came along and…"

Heather nodded understandingly. "I know… We miss you Inky, we don't resent you at all. I'm sorry I let Izuku come to this…"

She shook her head. "No, it was always going to happen. Just keep trying with Audrey, maybe it'll help. Maybe we'll get my boy back…"

 _Timeskip: Dagobah Beach_

"Put your back into it my boy!"

Izuku silently cursed anybody who might have found it amusing that he was dragging a large unit of lockers across a beach. All Might had explained the situation of One for All to him a while ago, maybe a month after his incarceration, and ever since he had been pushed to his highest degree. A couple hours every day he was expected to study, which he did to his lowest degree. Literature and Mathematics, along with a couple quirk studies here and there, made up his study habits. He knew that the books he was reading were monitored, and he wasn't sure how they would react to him reading The Art of War or other such books by famous generals, but they were the only ones he could push himself to care about. Mathematics was alright, not his favourite but it beat doing something stupid like biology or modern studies.

He had been assured that Toga was being cared for, but he knew that she wasn't going to last like she is. All Might had noticed him spending many training sessions in complete silence, thinking intently but he had only an inkling of an idea of what his student was thinking about. This wasn't one of those days. "When do I get to see Toga again Mr Muscle?"

All Might hmm'd from the top of the locker. "I believe when you finish the beach my boy! Rest assured, for you are making stellar progress!"

That was to be expected, considering Izuku was already in a good physical state. Years of fighting and exhaustive chases had left him with a good physical prowess, and the beach was about 20% done by this point. "All right, but if I find out that she's being hurt…"

All Might nodded grimly, remembering watching the fight between him and the sludge villain. "Of course, of course."

At that point All Might heard a ringing in his pocket, and he brought out his phone and accepting the call. "Tsukauchi, what's going on?"

The detective sounded really tired as he said. "It's subject Himiko, she's completely disappeared from our radar. The fighting ring, her old apartment, everything. I don't know what we're going to do if we don't find her before Midoriya finishes the beach."

Well that just made things more complicated didn't it? All Might responded quietly. "Okay, I'll try my best to extend his training. Please try and find her, I don't want to be the one to break the news that we broke our promise to Midoriya."

He hung up the phone before sighing and rubbing his forehead, imagining the firestorm that would occur if Midoriya learned that she wasn't being cared for. As this was happening, a knife could be heard being sharpened in a dark warehouse as a gaudy looking man walked in. "Himiko, I have a job for you."

The insane girl walked out into the light, and Giran looked behind her to see various images of a green haired boy cut up behind her on a wall. "What is it Giran? I have business to attend to."

The broker shuddered at her tenor before he smiled. "Well, first tell me about this strapping young lad you have such an interest in."

Her lovestruck expression was plastered back on her face as she cuddled a knife to her cheek. "He's mine, but _they_ took him… _My Izu._ "

Giran inwardly cheered. "I think this job will be _just_ perfect for you…"

 _Timeskip: U.A's entrance Exam_

Izuku groaned in displeasure as he walked up to another robot, cocked back his fist and sent it flying with green electricity flying through his veins. It had been 4 months since he had received One for All, and 4 months since he had completely blown off All Might after learning that he had skimped on him. He remembered that fight fondly, despite the two days he spent in chains after. Toga was still at large, wreaking havoc through the slums but Izuku was forbidden from going to her. It was near torture for him, imagining that she was in pain at night without him.

It was also a big shock when Gareth had said in finality that Izuku was no longer invited to come to Bolgia. He had shown up one day at visiting hour in U.A's facility made for him, and said in no uncertain terms that Izuku wasn't allowed back. Izuku had felt betrayed at the time, but Heather's visit the next day had explained everything to him.

 _Flashback_

 _Heather walked into the room designed to hold Izuku, shuddering at the barren nature of it. The boy himself was sat on the bed, his head held low as his shoulders slumped in defeat. "Izuku… Hey."_

 _The boy looked up, and she was pierced with eyes laced in anger. "The hell do you want?"_

 _She sighed and sat down at the desk chair across from him, his eyes never leaving her. "Look, we didn't get a choice in the matter…"_

 _Izuku cut her off bitterly. "Sure…"_

 _A hand reaching out and smacking him in the back of the head stopped him from continuing. "As I was saying, we didn't get an option in the matter. Gareth did it of his own accord."_

 _Izuku's look of anger turned to confusion as Heather continued. "Okay, so Gareth walks in one day and tells us that you're banished. He has to take on four of us before he's restrained. He says it's 'cause you need to go down a different route then ours, and I'm not sure I disagree."_

 _The boy's scoffing didn't give her hope as she leaned forward. "Fine then, I'll spell it out. Izuku, we want you to be happy."_

 _He looked at her, his eyes showing a lost soul as he asked. "But I am happy? I beat up idiots, I drink at Bolgia, I go home or I spend time with Toga. She was so close to being free, but now she's…"_

 _Heather leaned forward even more, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Look, Toga is a big girl. She's probably fine. Audrey has been pining for you ever since she saw you, I've even arranged for her to come over and…"_

 _His hand snuck up to her wrist, gripping it tightly as she gasped. His eyes had become even angrier then before as he accused in a quiet, trembling voice. "You're trying to replace her… You always were, weren't you… Get the fuck out."_

 _Heather gulped before saying. "N-No! I was just trying to…"_

 _His hand twisted, and Heather could feel a crack echo up her arm as she cried out in pain. "Get out."_

 _Two guards ran in with tasers, jabbing them into the prisoner's neck before Heather was escorted out. She was lead to Recovery Girl, her fracture was healed and she was sent on her way. Izuku was left unconscious in his room, but the scars he had from yesterday were only ripped open and salt was dropped into the wounds._

 _Flashback End_

40 Robots had fallen to his fist since the exercise had started, and Izuku was enjoying a comfortable stroll as he patrolled for more points. That was when a large robotic noise was heard, and he turned his eyes to see a massive bot looming over the main area. Rolling his shoulder from his last hit he felt the green energy at his legs begin to gather and his speed all of a sudden increased, rocketing him towards the fight.

One for All was a curious power, a destructive and terrifying power in the wrong hands but a massive opportunity in the opportunistic ones. Finishing the beach hadn't taken too long considering the amount of time he had dedicated to the task, giving him ample time to beat the quirk into himself. All Might had warned against it, but Izuku was no stranger to breaking bones. Two months of hard training until Izuku was subconsciously using it as he worked his way through U.A's supply of test dummies.

He broke out into the main area and smirked as he looked at the wannabe's run away from the massive bot. There was no way they could hope to take down a determined villain with that attitude, especially when using all of their quirks in tandem would take it down in a second. Walking forward calmly through the rushing crowd he was surprised when he heard an anguished cry coming from under a piece of rubble. A brown-haired girl, whose legs appeared to be crushed under the rock.

Ignoring her cries he turned back to the bot, assessing it's weak-points. The previous bots appeared to have some kind of cerebral cortex, a CPU of some kind in the head. Looking up at the plate interwoven with cameras he made the assumption that it was the weak point. _"Well, do or die now Izuku. Let's tango."_

His legs crackled with energy, before he rushed past and lept at one of the legs. The bot was unable to hit him with a missile without attacking itself, giving Izuku the opportunity to leap to the top of the bot's head. It was a simple job from there, breaking open the hatch and dropping in. Inside was a sweltering hot room lined with tubes and wires along with a large button that had 'SELF DESTRUCT' written above.

Nearly laughing at the cliché of the situation he punched the button before climbing out and looking for a landing pad. The beeping from behind him was getting faster, and he realised that a jump was the only option. _'I've done worse, come on Izuku!'_

He leapt off the bot as it began to explode, and the world went silent for a moment. All of a sudden the heat on his back along with the massive explosion shook him off course, sending him tumbling through the air. There was no way to correct himself, the ground was approaching too fast, and a final prayer left his lips and then…

 _SMACK_

A hand raked across his face as his descent slowed to a halt. He was about an inch away from the ground, and he peered up at the girl who was under the rubble floating on the same rock looking rather nauseous. She tapped her finger tips together while struggling to say. "Release!" And they both fell to the ground.

Izuku tried to get up before seeing that his legs appeared to be covered in bruises, most likely from overexerting his arteries. Hoisting himself into a sitting position with his arms he called out to the now puking girl "Hey, you alright?"

She looked up, her face pale as she said. "Y-Yeah, thank you for saving me…"

He shook his head, dismissing her thanks. "Don't mention it, I just wanted a challenge but it's cool that you rescued me in turn. What's the name?"

She began to blush at his non-chalant attitude before saying. "U-Uraraka Ochako."

Izuku replied as he spied Recovery girl on the way. "Midoriya Izuku. Hey! Chiyo!"

The elderly girl turned sternly towards him before making her way over. "Mr Midoriya, must I remind you that…"

He waved her off. "Yeah yeah you old bat, ya mind getting her back on her feet?"

There was a general gasp from the crowd as Recover Girl replied with a dark voice. "What was that, you delinquent monster?"

Izuku glared right back. "I said, you senile bat, get her back on her feet."

A boy Izuku didn't recognise walked forward as before commanding. "Excuse me! That is no way to speak to the revered healer of U.A!"

The greenette waved him off as he said. "Yeah Yeah Glasses, I'll get to you in a moment. Ol' Chiyo can handle herself."

The nurse hmphed as she kissed Uraraka's legs before saying in turn. "Damn right Midoriya."

The uptight boy growled in displeasure as the nurse healed the delinquent's legs. "Now then, everybody return to the entrance and return home. If you require healing, please come here."

Izuku stood up, jumping in place a few times before turning to Uraraka and saying. "Hey, I'll see you in class."

She blinked at his change of demeanour before replying with a determined smile. "You too!"

They all returned home, Izuku to his cell. When inside he heard a knock and turned his head to the door, in too good a mood from the fight to be snarky. "Come in!"

The door creaked open, and Izuku watched All Might walk in with hawk eyes as the hero sat down in his desk chair. "My boy, I watched the test with the other teachers. That was some stellar combat if I do say so myself."

Izuku waved him off. "You know I can fight like that, what did you actually want?"

All Might leaned forward as he asked. "The young girl you saved, Ms Uraraka. Why did you do what you did? She displayed no value to you, and you haven't been very forthcoming with… Heroic tendencies."

Izuku sighed as he rubbed the back of his head. "Look Superman, I'm not going to lie I'm still pissed that Toga is out alone. Uraraka was in the wrong place at the right time, I just saved her by taking out the big bot."

Toshinori nodded before bringing out a sheet. "Well, since you are already here I thought I'd tell you your place. 1st, with a Mr Bakugo right behind you. You will be placed in Class 1-A with Aizawa…"

Izuku cut him off with a groan. "Scarfy!? Come on!"

All Might laughed heartily at the boy's dismay before continuing. "And we intend to send you to the U.A dormitory system."

That caused the heat to drain from the room as Izuku asked slowly. "You're trying to keep me caged in here, right? What the hell is your game?"

All Might sighed and admitted. "Okay, we will admit that this is to keep you from going back to the streets. But we also have reason to believe that Ms Himiko has… Let's say gone completely 'yandere' if my terminology is correct. Every crime scene we link to her, we find a message written in the victim's blood pertaining to you my boy. It's some scary stuff…"

Izuku began to rub at his eyes, fighting off tears of frustration. "Mother… She was so close! Fuck! This is your fucking fault, you hear me!? Every one of these deaths is on the hero's hands!"

All Might asked curiously. "What do you mean by that?"

Izuku was too drained to try and hide it. "I was so damn close to helping her. A couple months at most, and she would have been hidden away in the suburbs taking a hot bath or playing with a cat. You fucking caused this, all because you just had to steal me away in the night. Now she has no-one who wants to help her… She's going fucking crazy…"

There was silence in the room for a while. All Might tried to probe. "What of your friends? As I remember it, you frequented a bar called Bolgia?"

The scathing laugh told him everything he needed. "They hated her, thought she was a bad influence. Not to mention they kicked me out. They ment well, but I ain't lookin' back."

All Might hmm'd before standing up conclusively. "Okay, but this is not healthy for you to hold onto. My Boy, I wish to escort you to the bar to reconcile your differences."

A savage grin stretched across the boys face before he threw himself to his feet. "Why didn't you just say so? Let's do this…"

 _Povchange Bolgia_

The atmosphere in the bar had become muted in the 4 months since Heather had come back in tears. The news that Izuku had renounced them in turn had hit all of them hard, even Gareth, who had held out hope that Izuku would understand their reasoning. Heather sat alone most days, sometimes joining her girlfriends where they would sit in silence. But they had another who joined them in Izuku's place, an old friend.

Inko came to the bar every week since Heather had come back from her house, sitting in a corner nursing a glass of water or light alcohol. Many had cheered when she came back, but her frosty attitude was enough to tell them that she hadn't forgiven them for what Izuku had become. Her figure had slimmed back down, and her posture had returned to what it was before. Now she was every bit the deadly Massacre that she was before she had Izuku.

Their reverie was shook when the door opened quietly, revealing a certain no.1 Hero. Many of them turned warily of the man towards him as he cleared his throat and asked aloud. "Excuse me, may I speak to a man named Gareth?"

Gareth stood up from his bar stool, squaring up to All Might. "You may. What brings the no.1 hero to my bar today?"

All Might's face was the picture of stoicism as he stepped to the side, revealing a face they hadn't seen in months. Inko shrunk back into her corner, watching her son walk forward with a savage smile. "Hey Gareth, miss me?"

Gareth gulped inaudibly as he turned to Izuku, steeling his nerves. "Why are you here Izuku? I told you, you're banished."

Izuku sighed before pointing up to All Might. "He made me come here, reconciling and that. So, how's business?"

Gareth didn't respond as Heather got up shakily. "I-Izuku? W-What…"

Izuku turned to her boredly. "Hey Auntie Heather, how's your trophy doing?"

The woman flinched as Laura stood up, a glass of dark red in her hand. "Izuku, you will not speak to her like that."

That admonishment would have scared a younger, Quirkless Izuku. But not this one. "Laura, glad to see you still have that all encompassing charisma."

Gareth retook the reigns as he said. "Izuku, not now. What do you want?"

The boy's eyes narrowed as he demanded. "An apology, not for myself but for Toga. I didn't need protecting, but she did."

Gareth looked down at him with quiet eyes. They had never said that they liked Toga, but she ment a lot to Izuku. "No."

A sigh came from Izuku's mouth as he began. "Well then, let's figh…"

He was blindsided by a flying Heather, All Might stepping back in shock. "I'm sorry! She never deserved it… I shouldn't have forced you and Audrey…"

Izuku wrapped a scarred arm around her, putting her back on her feet. "Damn right she didn't, and now she's fucking lost it. Look, I'm not going to say that you were wrong to try and play matchmaker but _don't_ try that shit again."

Heather nodded, ruffling his hair with a teary smile as a couple other members walked forward. Paulo sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "Look Kid, I'm not going to lie but she gives me the willies. You've done better then me, sorry kid."

Izuku nodded, accepting the apology as the other members came forward to reconcile. All Might was surprised at the delicacy of the event, until only two people were left. Gareth and Inko. Izuku turned to the corner, nodding to his mother. "Mom, glad to see you've been taking care of yourself."

She stood up, sauntering forward with a hint of her old nervousness. "Izuku…"

The son nodded before saying. "I don't expect an apology, but I owe you one. I'm not the best son, I admit that."

Inko nodded, giving him a quick hug before retreating back to the corner. All eyes turned to Gareth, who sighed and shrugged. "Well, she wasn't any worse then you to be honest."

Smiling Izuku nodded, a massive weight lifted from his shoulders that he didn't know he had. "That's all I need Uncle. Now then, what to do going forward…"

All Might took the opportunity to but back in. "I believe that it would be smart if you were to attempt to visit U.A once in a while. My boy, it is time for us to leave."

Izuku groaned before nodding. "Yes sir."

Heather called out as they were leaving. "Izuku! Do you want to meet Audrey at least?"

Letting out his first true laugh in a while Izuku replied coyly. "Sure! I got enough time for two."

The bar erupted in laughter as All Might lead Izuku away with a smile. It seemed that Izuku did have a heart.

 _Povchange, Timeskip, Class 1-A_

Izuku sighed tiredly as he walked towards his classroom, the uniform feeling uncomfortable on him as he dreaded his upcoming class. While he and Aizawa did have some similar qualities, namely fighting style, they despised each other. His mug had managed to keep people from talking to him so far, but he knew he would have to interact with his class at some time.

He approached the door to 1-A and smirked happily as he heard the voice of his favourite puppy and Glasses going at it. Opening the door, he saw Bakugo with his feet up, while the blue haired boy he vaguely remembered from the test berated him. Bakugo cut off his retorts as he looked fearfully at Izuku as the boy intentionally acted like he didn't notice him. "M-Midoriya…"

Izuku turned his head and grinned happily at him, walking towards the blond. Enjoying the looks from the rest of his new class he laid his hands on Bakugo's shoulders and began to dig his thumbs into his shoulder blades painfully. "Heya there Kacchan! Miss me? How's the new boyfriend?"

Bakugo gulped as he tried to ward away the pain. "D-Deku…"

Izuku was about to dig his thumbs even deeper when he heard a voice from behind him say cheerfully. "U-Um, is everything okay here?"

Turning his head he saw the girl from the exam, Uraraka if his memory served him well, looking at him. Releasing his grip he replied. "Oh nothing in particular, just catching up with dear old Kacchan here. Uraraka right?"

She nodded happily, ignoring the feeling in her stomach as she replied. "And you're Izuku Midoriya right? I hope we'll get along!"

Izuku nodded before hearing a voice from the front of the room say. "If you're here to socialise, get out."

Growling in frustration Izuku blew off Uraraka before grabbing a seat and falling into it. "This is the Hero Course! Everybody, take your seats!"

There was a mad scramble as everyone in the class tried to get into a seat. Izuku looked up at Aizawa as the man unzipped his yellow sleeping bag and began. "8 Seconds, I could have killed 3 of you in that time alone. As heroes, you will need to be quicker. Everybody get into your P.E uniforms and go down to the training area."

Izuku pff't at the insinuation that Aizawa could kill him, drawing a glare from Glasses and Aizawa alike. Glasses spoke up again. "Sir! Is there not an orientation procedure…"

Aizawa waved him off. "Not in my classes. U.A doesn't have time for anything like that. Hurry up."

Nobody said anything as they ran for the changing room. Izuku was used to a harsh training regime already, allowing him to keep ahead of the pack with Glasses neck and neck with him. "Excuse me, Deku, am I correct?"

He was blindsided by Izuku hooking an arm around his shoulders and bringing him close to whisper. "Never say that again, my name is Midoriya to you. Whaddaya want Glasses?"

The boy gulped as he said reproachfully. "My name is Tenya Iida, and I am simply requesting an insight into your issue with Aizawa-Sensei."

Izuku released his hold as they got to the boys changing room. "Scarfy and I don't get along, that's all you need. Now get changed, I ain't changing your diaper for you."

He heard a muffled laughter from behind him and turned his head to see Bakugo hiding his mouth behind his hand. Izuku grinned mockingly at him as he said. "Ah, still a good little Beta eh Kacchan?"

Izuku didn't respond to his stuttered responses as he got dressed in the U.A P.E uniform and rushed down to the training field first. He saw a couple of the girls already there, but the rest of his class wasn't far behind. Izuku watched as Aizawa made an example of Bakugo before announcing the first test of skill, which he scoffed at internally. He saw one of the taller girls with a black ponytail looking confused, and sidled over to her and muttering. "Scarfy ain't going to throw one of us out."

She shook her head, looking over to him. "No, Aizawa-Sensei is just bringing out our full potentials. My name is Momo Yaoyorozu, by the way."

Izuku shrugged before responding as they got into line to do their tests. "Midoriya. Maybe, or he's teaching us the best motivator in history."

Momo looked confusedly at him before he answered with a savage grin. "Fear."

The track was pretty brutal for some, giving Aizawa a sense of where everybody was while ignoring all of Izuku's stellar scores. He had 4 months to beat one of the strongest quirks in existence into submission, and it showed. The tests ended, and the scores were shown. Izuku was at the top as he had expected, maybe seceding a few no.1 spots in events to some more specialised students, but having the highest average score. A small purple haired rat wailed as he realised his score was the lowest.

Izuku took great joy in mimicking Aizawa's exact words silently to Momo across the class, and she had to hide her mouth behind her hand daintily to avoid the giggles. 'Good to see you've still got it… No! Toga still needs you.'

Instantly stopping the foolish behaviour he allowed himself to be lead away with the class and back into the classroom. Bakugo knew better then to question his sudden change in mood, but Uraraka had no such experience. "Um, Izuku-kun, are you okay?"

He snapped back. "Yes."

She was lead away by some of the other girls who glared at him, and Bakugo took the opportunity to analyse Izuku's posture. He had always known that Izuku was ruthless in getting his way, but until he saw the test scored he had no idea he would have to compete for no.1 hero in the same race as him. Izuku was slumped, his shoulders hunched like an animal wound to attack. More then enough for Bakugo to realise that another provocation would be enough to make the delinquent snap.

Class passed pretty quick, and lunch began with an overwhelming sigh from the class. While most went off towards the cafeteria, Izuku broke off and went for the dorms. Entering the massive Height's Alliance he went towards the kitchen and sighed, rubbing his tired eyes as he began to create his lunch. The lunch period was their only break, giving them an hour to recoup between the two segments of the day, and Izuku would prefer to stay away from the cafeteria.

Of course his silence was interrupted by a voice calling out 'Knock knock!'. Turning around he saw his mother standing there with Heather, both with bags of groceries on their arms. "Mom… Aunt… What're you two doing here?"

Heather took the lead as Inko was obviously uncomfortable. "Well, we wanted to see how you were doing! How's your first day going?"

They both set down their bags on a spare counter as Izuku said a word of thanks. "Alright, Teach is annoying but what do you expect. You two want some?"

Heather nodded happily as Inko began to help out with the cooking, avoiding eye contact as best as she could with Izuku. Heather kept chatting away as Izuku responded to each question dutifully until she reached a certain topic. "So… Any cute girls?"

Inko's loud chop signalled her displeasure with the notion as Izuku began to stir slower. "None that matter…"

Heather sighed before shrugging, letting her feet dangle from the countertop she sat upon. "Yeah, my bad. Any news on her?"

Izuku nodded his head sadly, ladling out the soup he had prepared into three separate bowls. "She's getting worse. All Might told me that she was back on the killing, and she's… She's…"

He couldn't continue, the thought of her suffering too much for him as his mother pulled him into a hug. Her height had come back since she had stopped worry-eating, and Heather had joked that it was time to put herself back on the market. Nonetheless she was tall enough to hug her boy as she comforted him quietly, and he allowed it in a moment of weakness. "She'll pull through Izuku… You both will."

Eventually they broke apart and Izuku pulled himself back together, setting the table as his mother plated up the sides. Heather was glad to finally see the two of them working together, a real mother and son duo. She had spent many of her teenage years with Inko, and she had watched Izuku grow up, and the similarities between them were finally coming to a head. She sat down with the two with a steaming bowl in front of her, said her thanks, and dug in.

Izuku would never claim to be a cook, but Toga would have claimed otherwise if you asked her. He had to learn to cook because he often couldn't go to the uncertified restaurants in the slums, and Toga often didn't want to go out to anywhere but her favourite café. Therefor he had to learn to cook for both of them, and his skills weren't too shabby.

All three ate in relative silence, enjoying the meal they shared until Heather pulled out her phone in response to a buzzing and opened a call with an apologetic glance. "Hey Aud, how can I help?"

Izuku and Inko looked at her curiously as Heather hmm'd and gave basic responses in return to some questions until a mischievous grin stretched across her face, spelling trouble for Izuku. "Why, yes he is sat in front of me."

Izuku sighed as Heather slid the phone over to him. "Your princess awaits oh shining knight."

He picked up the phone dutifully and said. "Hey, Audrey right?"

The voice on the other was obviously cultivated, but had a tinge of roughness to it. _"Um, yeah. It's… Cool to finally meet… Talk to you Izuku."_

He tried to hide a laugh at her demeanor as he responded. "Likewise. What did you want to speak about?"

Inko noticed that his speech became somewhat less street when he talked to Heather or Audrey, filing it away in her drawer of 'Things to learn about her son'. _"O-Oh! Um… Well I was invited by Auntie Heather to come to Japan and… I was wondering…"_

He smiled as he recalled nearly the exact speech pattern some of the girls in Middle School would use when talking to him. "Sure, how about a day at the mall before a night on the beach?"

Her small scream of excitement was muffled after a second before she responded. _"Thatsoundslovelygoodbye!"_

The line went dead, and Izuku handed the phone back to the applauding Heather with a smirk. "Still got it. Sounds alright as far as 'take her home' is concerned."

Heather nodded, a prideful smile on her face as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I know, right? And I'm certain that those pics I slipped your way were enough to convince you of her other… Assets."

He suddenly felt an angry presence to his left and turned to see his mother having attracted all of the knives to her. "What. Was. That?"

Izuku gulped, silently thinking to himself. _"Well I was never one for school, but I could really fucking use a bell right now."_

 **AN: So, chp of Strays. I had the idea of a streetfighting Izuku for a while but this is the fruition of that with a sprinkle of harem and sad moments. In this one I'm going for the three tiered system of Waifus, chaotic evil, chaotic neutral and lawful good. I'll let you figure out who is who. And for those wondering, yes in this one Toga will be closer to cannon later on. Don't worry about an OP Izuku as well, the power of friendship is still present.**


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